1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique of constructing a user interface (UI) window in accordance with a user's purpose and forming an image by using a function unique to a multi function peripheral (MFP) and the function of a server application in accordance with an instruction from the UI.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, an application execution environment typified by a Java (registered trademark) has been provided for a multi function peripheral (MFP) (to be also simply referred to as an “image forming apparatus” hereinafter). Developing programs which operate in the Java (registered trademark) environment makes it possible to create applications using the functions of an MFP. In general, most of these applications are those called package applications in which window configurations and functions provided by MFPs are fixed.
When a solution linked with a server application which operates on a server capable of communicating with an MFP is to be provided for a user company, it is difficult to flexibly satisfy the specifications required by the user by using a package application which provides fixed window configurations and functions.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-298561 discloses a technique of downloading an application program for an MFP from a server and executing it. However, the contents disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-298561 do not refer to the customization of an MFP application itself, and hence it is difficult to provide an individual solution for a user's request.
A case of a solution obtained by linking an MFP with an application on a server is a pull-type printing system in which an MFP acquires a file stored in a document management server or content server through a network and prints the file. Another case is a system in which a scanned document file created by scanning operation using an MFP is registered in a document management server or content server.
Assume that a brochure printing system to which pull-type printing is applied is to be used. In this case, an electric appliance distributor and travel agency, which belong to different categories of business, require brochure printing with different specifications. For example, the electric appliance distributor is assumed to require specifications for printing brochures for each of products such as digital cameras, whereas the travel agency is assumed to require specifications for brochures for each of destinations of travel. In such a case, the UI of an MFP issues instructions to the MFP and a server application in accordance with operations which users want to directly see, touch, and process, and hence it is difficult to satisfy a wide variety of specifications, which are assumed to be required by the users, with fixed window configurations.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-196698 discloses a technique of registering the correspondence relationship between a printer and a scanner as a transfer pass protocol in a server in advance and distributing the protocol by downloading it into a multi function apparatus and the like. This reference also discloses a technique of displaying, on an operation panel, an icon for virtual copy corresponding to the combination of the printer and the scanner by using the transfer pass protocol.
According to the conventional technique, an icon indicating a combination of an input device and an output device is designated to make a plurality of devices cooperate with each other, thereby executing one service. In the above conventional technique, however, the functions of a plurality of designated devices are simply executed sequentially. That is, the technique does not allow the user to make full use of various functions of external devices with which the image forming apparatus communicates and flexibly change or enhance the function of the image forming apparatus.
In addition, conventionally, it is necessary to design the layout of a form in accordance with a combination of insertion data and a template for every execution of a service. For this reason, a desired output cannot be obtained by only simple instructions from the user through the image forming apparatus.
According to one aspect of the present invention, it is an object to provide a mechanism of enhancing or customizing the function of an image forming apparatus by making full use of various functions of an external information processing apparatus with which the image forming apparatus communicates.
According to another aspect of the present invention, it is another object to provide a mechanism of obtaining a desired output by only issuing simple instructions through the display screen of an image forming apparatus in cooperation with an external device having a dynamic layout function.